A Guide to
by animea-hime
Summary: Hey guys, just a simple guide to writing fanfictions since I felt like it and could, nothing spectacular, I hope you enjoy... Complete


Hey Guys,

Dolphie-chama here once again, this time with something completely unrelated to anything of the Naruto world, or any anime/fandom, today is just something nice and easy. And when I say nice and easy, I mean it, I probably shouldn't be on here in the least since I still have five assignments to complete and math homework that seems to piling up next to that English essay and Art essay that is about to come. So today, for your viewing pleasure; a small list of tips for those of you who are new to the fanfiction business or need some help with fanfiction. So let's go!

**Okay, so tip Number 1: Spelling, grammar and punctuation!**

Now, I know, I probably have preached this over and over again to some, but for the love of all things right, spell check your work. Edit your work. And yes, I am also guilty of the occasional spelling mistake so call me a hypocrite if you will, but I guarantee you I try to avoid all errors and mistakes in my works, since, in the end it would look like a dodgy piece of literature if I didn't do so. Microsoft © Word is there for a reason! It has spell check so the people who don't know the entirety of the English language can check their mistakes! However, ever MS Word makes mistakes, so you your self **do** _have_ to actually _read_ and god forbid _edit_ your own work, and if you're too lazy, get some one else (friends/family/teachers) to do it!

And so yes, that means you people who lyk 2 5p33k lyk th15, don't do it! I don't know if you're aware but some of us who don't use the 'leet' speak or whatever it is, it's like trying decipher ancient Egypt hieroglyphics in very severe cases where they use every character and symbol insanely possible in one word! However, this doesn't mean a little 'net' speak isn't bad, I use it a lot of the time when speaking to my friends, and I have even used a bit of it in one of my next chapters coming up (only once though, and in the end it might be edited out).

Now, for grammar, I'm not 'attacking; those of ESL (English Second Language) backgrounds, I mean those people who just can not be bothered to add things such as joining words, nouns, pronouns, adjectives and the like, it frustrates me! If you speak English fluently, write it fluently too, it's not that hard once you get used to it!

**Tip Number 2: Description is good! It is your friend!**

So, yea, I am also guilty of too little or too much description at times, most of the time, keep your descriptions to about 1-2 paragraphs, if it's an important part of your story, continue to make it longer as you see fit, but when you do it, don't make your sentences too long, it can get really hard to keep up with where you're going at times, which leads me to another point when you do descriptions and all writing in anything…

NO WALLS OF TEXT!!!

I am dead serious people! I can't count how many times I have come across excellent fanfics, really good stories and the like; my only criticism would be the walls of texts! And by walls of texts I mean those fanfictions which have a HUGE wall of text right smack bang in the middle!

To be honest, I'm not sure how one can read it all when they type it up; to get really long walls of text, you have to type like a good five to six pages of writing! And for me, I can get lost easily in something like that and puts me off immediately when reading something, I just can't stand it, it overwhelms me and I'm sure for many others it does overwhelm them too!

**Tip Number 3: Just because it looks good, doesn't mean it's necessary.**

When I say this, I mean various things; one of these things refers to those who like to put their story in bold, italics, capitals and other assortments of combinations. I'm sorry, but please don't, when I read a constant heap of bold text, or a constant paragraph or six of capitals, I feel like some one is yelling at me, and to be honest, it's very exhausting reading something like that! Sure, to some it may look good to some (I have no idea why) but please don't, I want to read your stories because they sound really good, but I find it so hard to read stories when THEY'RE LIKE THIS or **LIKE THIS CONSTANTLY**!! I am also guilty of the constant bold, which I am actually going to edit once I have finished all my stories and I have a proper life again.

Another thing I mean when saying this, is using big words. Sure, it makes you look smart, but if you don't even _know_ what the word means and use it in the wrong context, it just makes the reader laugh, if they actually do know what the word means. I my self have a dictionary on hard (by the force of my English teacher) which I have used on a number of accounts to double check a word when used in the wrong context, it makes me laugh sometimes, but angry at other times. Use smaller words that are the equivalent of that big fancy word, it makes you look better if you know what you're talk about!

Here's another point under here, if your going to use another language some where in there, make sure you have some type of translation, link or name to that language, not everyone speaks fluent (insert language here)! I mean half the world speaks some type of Asian language, the other half English with good portions of other languages, and very rarely are you going to find some one who speaks more than language fluently as if their own. I like seeing people who put another language in their stories (as in songs) it shows they have taken a much larger notice of the world than others, makes them seem like they care slightly, but I also want to understand what I am reading. If it's just a song, put the song title and it's probably on Youtube © on it for me to listen to as I read the text.

**Tip Number 4: Have a plot, a storyline, something!**

Silly yes, but never taken into context enough! Plots and story lines are what make stories interesting! And no I'm not berating on Crack fics (I like Crack fics, they make me laugh) where there is no proper plot, but at least there is still some plot to it, I'm talking about those stories which have no plot line what so ever but claim to have one. For Example:

"Oh look there's Sakura! Forehead-girl!" Ino called out waving to her. Turning around the pink haired girl smiled and walked towards the blonde kunoichi. Suddenly she got thrown into some magic portal where she was never heard of again. Suddenly a sentence later…

"OMG SAKURA IT'S YOU!!"

"Of course it's me! Do you want to go to the mall that just opened up down near Konoha Mall?" Sakura squealed.

"OMG! Is that Sasuke-kun?" Ino squealed.

"No it's Itachi!" Sakura gasped in fear "he's trying to kill Sasuke-kun!"

"NO Sasuke-kun! Naruto stay away from him!!"

"WHAT?! I SAW HIM FIRST DATTEBAYO!"

"NARUTO!!"

"WAAAHHH!! SAKURA-CHAN, I'll miss YOU!!! You were a great friend!" Naruto cried as he mourned over the pink haired girl's dead body in the middle of the battle scene in Lightning.

End Example. N.B: please note, I just randomly made that up, no one's work has been plagiarized, humiliated and the like…

I'm sorry but stories like that have no plot. It's random, unplanned and insanely irritating! Crack fics, there is at least _some_ plot in there, even _drabbles_ have _something_! Plot is good, it makes stories make sense, it gives meaning; it encourages readers!

**Tip Number 5: There's this thing called paragraphs**

Yea, amazing, there's this concept called a paragraph, it's such a foreign concept that not that many people know of it, let alone _understand _it. As my English teacher once said, paragraphs are the body of the literature. It isn't hard to make this thing called a paragraph. Oddly enough all you have to do is make sentences _join_. Start off with some type of topic sentence that outlines your paragraph, and there you go, you can keep going. Remember, one idea is essentially a new paragraph, crazy huh?

**Tip Number 6: Summaries are like plots…**

Indeed, yes summaries are much like plots, they give stories a brief over view of what's going to happen in the story, it's what encourages readers, trust me, if the summary sounds good, it entices readers to come and read. But please, don't say something is going to happen when it won't, that's just stupid. Don't go saying you suck at summaries, yes we all suck at summaries, _move on. _Saying something, just quick and to the point, you can elaborate more in the actually story, if you choose to. So in short,

YOU MUST HAVE A SUMMARY!

**Tip Number 7: AU (Alternative Universe) and OOC (Out of Character)**

Yes, some say AU and OOC is bad, to be honest, yes to a degree it's bad, but I think a little AU is good. I like the Café waitress, school, vampire, mythical creature styled stories; all fanfictions are technically AU anyway so why not go all out? OOC, yes it can be bad when you don't even recognise the character, but a little OOC is what makes it your own original creation, I would a BIG hypocrite if I said OOC and AU were bad things, I mean look at my stories! Just don't make it so unrealistic that it's ridiculous! I mean, come on, who doesn't like the slightly possessive, caring boyfriend Sasuke turns out to be half the time despite his cold exterior, all girls like to dream like that, even I do…at this point I should sigh miserably…

**Tip Number 8: It's called a One-shot not a One-paragraph**

Yes, the One-shot stories are popular amongst all writers and authors alike. It's a short story, nothing more; all of us use them at times. But a one shot is meant to actually have a story to it! I mean, I can't count how many people's one shots' I've read that could have been extended SOOOOOOOOOOO (x10) much and was like a paragraph or two, sometimes it's only a short sentence or two. That's just silly! Try and at _least_ do 1000 words! It's _easy_! In MS Word, that's about a page and a half of text at 12 pt. font in Times New Roman. Like I said before, _all_ stories have _plots_ and _descriptions_. It may sound silly but, please, just _try_ it.

**Tip Number 9: Clichés are good, they make me feel nice, but!**

Everyone loves the clichés are times, but there is a point when _everyone_ will draw the line. I mean who doesn't like the typical 'Cinderella' Story? We most likely all grew up with the concept of Cinderella, it's what makes a lot of people sigh with pure delight, BUT! Give your story some variation! Give it something new! Give it something good! Give it something outrageous! Give it something! I mean, if you sat there and read like twenty-billion stories with the same plot and everything you would be like 'Okay, _**NEXT**_!' People like old things but new is what gives your stories flare!

**Tip Number 10: Know what you're on about**

Silly yes, but over looked too many times. It makes more sense if you know what you're talking about to be honest, yea this relates back to tips 3 and slightly 7, but I thought to just point it out for you, aren't I nice?

**Tip Number 11: I'm not perfect, you aren't perfect; no one is!**

Shocking news this is, no one is perfect! So refrain from Mary-Sues and the likes, no one likes an un-faulty character these days, actually no one ever had, so don't do it, it's not even possible, so don't try it.

Another thing I'd like to point out is that, yes in fact you will always need improving with everything, so don't feel you are the bestest best best person in the world okay? There is always some one better than you; I accepted it so you do too! Creative criticism is good; it helps you improve your writing. Which leads me to another point; don't say something along the lines of 'I'm a new writer, first fanfiction, be nice!' We were, funnily enough, _all_ at that stage, it's so overrated these days, and besides it's like, what, one out every twenty billion people who will actually bother to criticize and flame work, today's society is all too paranoid to make offence of each other to their face most of the time.

Yes, so that's about it for now, this about as many tips I can give you right now since it is late at night and all that. I hope this helped you or at least made you laugh, or frown or receive some type of reaction out of it…

Thank you.

And.

Goodnight.

Dolphie-chama.


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